Bassnanza Winners Announced

Jaime Henson, left, Sallisaw Chamber Pres., with the 1st Place and Big Bass Winners Team #32 Fears/Porterfield and Chamber Executive Director Marty Green, right.

Henson, left, and Green, right. with 2nd Place Winners 

Team #27 Bartel/Pschiers.

Henson, left, and Green, right. with 3rd Place Winners 

Team #26 Sullivan/Pack (not shown)

Chamber officials stated that there was a great turnout for the 15th annual Kerr Lake Bassnanza Fishing Tournament held Saturday.

A total of 41 teams and 82 anglers entered with 27 teams weighing in fish.

"We had a great turnout and I would like to thank the fishermen that came out today along with all of the sponsors that made the tournament possible," stated Marty Green, chamber executive director.

KXMX News Staff

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Sallisaw Man Faces DUI Charge

A Sallisaw man was charged Sept. 18 with driving under the influence of alcohol after he was found nodding off while parked inside the bay of a car wash at State Highway 82 and Mayfield.

Vian police were notified about an unresponsive male sitting in a Lincoln Town Car at the car wash. Officers found Brian Fred Jenner, 54, asleep in the vehicle.

When Jenner was startled awake, he tried to exit the car and officers could smell alcohol on him. When asked if he was OK, Jenner said he was “just tired.” Jenner denied having used alcohol recently, then admitted to drinking “two beers” the night before.

Jenner, who police say was unsteady on his feet and had glassy eyes, subsequently failed a field sobriety test and was arrested.

He was transported to the Sallisaw Police Department, where another breath test was performed. The test revealed that Jenner’s blood-alcohol content was 0.18. The legal limit is .08.

The DUI charge is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and imprisonment for up to one year with at least one year’s supervision with periodic testing, aftercare and ignition interlock.

Jenner was released on $3,000 bond. His next court appearance is at 9 a.m. Nov. 15.

Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer

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Local Author to speak at Book Review Luncheon

Donna Welch Jones

Donna Welch Jones will discuss her latest book, “Beautiful Bait,” at the Book Review Luncheon scheduled for noon on Oct. 9 at the Stanley Tubbs Memorial Library meeting room, 101 E. Cherokee.

Jones’ latest book is set in Sequoyah County. “I chose Sequoyah County because I am familiar with the location. I worked at the Sequoyah County Health Department for eight years. My daughters, Amy and Kim, are graduates of Sallisaw High School. Currently, I have two grandsons enrolled in Muldrow Public Schools.”

“Beautiful Bait” tells the story of Jacie, a teenage runaway, who finds herself in Sequoyah County being paid to deliver homeless men to an isolated location. When Jacie comes to the realization that her boss is a murderer, he threatens to kill her or tell police she is a co-conspirator. Jacie is faced with the ultimate decision: death, jail or keeping the killer’s secret.

Jones is also the author of the Sheriff Lexie Wolfe Mystery Series and Unbreak Their Hearts. 

She has won awards in the Writer’s Digest Writing Competition and is a member of the Tulsa Nightwrighters, the Oklahoma Writers Confederation Inc. and Mystery Writers of America. 

A free lunch will be provided during the book discussion. To reserve a place, contact the library at (918) 775-4481. 

Stanley Tubbs Memorial Library is part of the Eastern Oklahoma District Library System. 

Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer

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Commissioners Proclaim October Domestic Violence Awareness Month

The Sequoyah County Board of Commissioners declared October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month at their meeting Monday.

“We have made tremendous strides in Oklahoma” as far as domestic violence is concerned, said Cindy Smith, an investigator with the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Deparment and the coordinator of the county’s Coordinated Community Response team.

Domestic violence incidents in the state have dropped significantly, she said, and that is directly tied to awareness programs provided on the state and county levels.

Smith said one in three women will experience some form of domestic violence, and one in seven men are victimized.

Sequoyah County Sheriff Larry Lane said the addition of a victims’ advocate to his staff has helped lower the number of domestic violence incidents in the county.

In other business, commissioners unanimously approved the final bid for approval of deed for the Commissioners Sale, as well as a subordination agreement between Arvest Bank, successor, and interest by merger to Arvest Mortgage Company and the Sequoyah County Redwood Project Parcel No. 12 for county District 3.

Commissioners also approved the awarding of a bid for the 3rd District’s purchase of several dump trucks, and they also awarded a bid for the purchase of a brush truck for the Brent Fire Department.

The panel also gave the green light to an agreement for website design between Lighthouse Web Design & Marketing and Sequoyah County.

Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer

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It’s Time to Light Up the Lawn!

With the arrival of fall comes time to Light Up the Lawn in Sallisaw. This year’s event will begin at 6:30 p.m. today (Monday) and will be at the gazebo on the east lawn of the Sequoyah County Courthouse.

The annual event promotes domestic violence awareness. Everyone is welcome, whether you are a survivor of domestic violence or if you just want to participate. Bring your friends, family or even your four-legged friends!

After the lighting ceremony, participants -- who are asked to wear purple -- will embark on a walk around town with glow sticks. The first 50 people will receive free glow sticks provided by the Cherokee Nation’s elder services program.

Sequoyah County commissioners declared October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month at their weekly meeting Monday.

Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer

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Hoskin Announces Largest language Initiative in Tribe’s history

More than 500 first-language Cherokee speakers were on hand for the Celebration of Cherokee Speakers Friday at the Cherokee Heritage Center in Tahlequah.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. announced Friday a $16 million investment in Cherokee language preservation – the largest language investment in the tribe’s history.

Chief Hoskin announced the “Durbin Feeling Cherokee Language Preservation Act” during a celebration of Cherokee language speakers.

“Now is the time to be bold and act quickly so we do not fail the legacy of our ancestors or future of our Cherokee speakers,” Chief Hoskin said. “We have focused on health care and economic development, and we have seen immeasurable achievements, but now we must also focus on saving our Cherokee language as another high priority.”

The Durbin Feeling Cherokee Language Preservation Act will:

• Create a Secretary of Language, Culture and Community cabinet-level position under administration.

• Transfer the CNB former Cherokee Casino Tahlequah building valued at $3.8 million to Cherokee Nation for a language center.

• Invest an additional $5 million from Cherokee Nation Businesses’ dividends to renovate and expand the language center.

• Officially name the language center the “Durbin Feeling Language Center” after modern-day Sequoyah and first-language Speaker Durbin Feeling.

• Invest another $1.5 million per year for five years from CNB dividends for language program operations, with an option to reauthorize for additional years.

• The Durbin Feeling Language Center will house the Cherokee Immersion Charter School, Cherokee Language Master Apprentice Program and the tribe’s team of Cherokee translators together in the center.

“The Cherokee language, I believe, is the soul of the Cherokee people. It is the source of our pride and our strength as a tribe,” said Deputy Chief Bryan Warner. “That’s why revitalizing the Cherokee language has become a priority of the utmost importance. The investments we are making in our language programs are meant not only to preserve the Cherokee language today, but to encourage us as Cherokee people to embrace our language and to use it for many generations into the future. Today is a great day in the Cherokee Nation and a new chapter in the preservation of our Cherokee language."

The Cherokee Nation currently has about 2,000 identified first-language Cherokee speakers.

The tribe invests more than $6 million per year into its language department, Cherokee Immersion Charter School, Master Apprentice Program and Cherokee Voices, Cherokee Sounds Radio Show.

“I can say without a doubt that Durbin Feeling laid the groundwork for this generation’s preservation of the Cherokee language,” Council of the Cherokee Nation Speaker Joe Byrd said. “I believe because of his efforts and the work of so many of our first-language Cherokee speakers, including those here in the Cherokee Nation and our brothers and sisters from the United Keetoowah Band and the Eastern Band of Cherokees, that we’re going to save our Cherokee language. The Council of the Cherokee Nation has always been a supporter of every effort to preserve the Cherokee language, and we all look forward to seeing our language carried on to the next generation.”

Feeling is the leading Cherokee linguist who wrote the Cherokee dictionary and is the single largest contributor to the Cherokee language since Sequoyah. He has worked at the Cherokee Nation since 1976.

Some of his accomplishments include adding Cherokee Syllabary on a word processor in the 1980s. He also started the process to add the Cherokee language on Unicode, which today allows smartphones to offer Cherokee Syllabary, and he developed hundreds of Cherokee language teaching materials that remain in use today.

The Council of the Cherokee Nation passed the Durbin Feeling Cherokee Language Preservation Act in committee on Thursday and is expected to pass full council.

KXMX News Staff

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Compete in the Bedlam Blood Battle!

It’s football season and the Bedlam Blood Battle is on! Blood donors can now receive Bedlam-themed t-shirts, featuring your favorite coaches!

Join Walmart Sallisaw at a blood drive with Oklahoma Blood Institute from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., on Friday, October 4 on the bloodmobile. Anyone who is healthy and 16 years old* or older can make a life-saving difference for their fellow Oklahomans by giving blood. 

All donors will receive their choice of a free “OSU orange” t-shirt featuring the profile of Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy, or an “OU crimson” t-shirt featuring Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley’s profile. 

“No matter which team you’re backing in the Bedlam Blood Battle, we love our football here in Oklahoma,” said John Armitage, M.D., president and CEO of Oklahoma Blood Institute. “But saving the lives of our neighbors and friends through blood donation is what really defines the spirit of our community. We thank our state’s universities and coaches for supporting Oklahoma Blood Institute in the unified mission of meeting the blood needs of patients in our state.”

Oklahoma Blood Institute relies solely on 1,200 volunteer blood donors a day to meet the needs of patients at more than 160 hospitals and medical facilities as well as all air ambulances statewide. There is no substitute for blood, and the donation process takes about an hour. Blood can be donated every 56 days. Platelets can be given as often as every seven days, up to 24 times a year.

If donors opt not to take the t-shirt, funds will be given to Global Blood Fund, a 501(c)(3) charity organization helping to procure much-needed blood center supplies in developing countries.

Appointments to give blood are not required but can be made by visiting obi.org or calling/texting Greg at 479-652-2362. 

* 16 year olds must weigh at least 125 pounds and provide signed parental permission; 17 year olds must weigh at least 125 pounds; 18+ year olds must weigh at least 110 pounds

KXMX News Staff

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Cruizin’ 64 Set for Oct. 12

It’s time for the annual Cruizin’ 64 Car Show and Chili Cook-off and Sallisaw Main Street Inc. and the Chamber of Commerce have made big plans for this year’s event.

The fun will kick off at 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, and will run until about 10 p.m. that day. The event will be capped off with live music at the new gazebo outside Stanley Tubbs Memorial Library.

Hosted by Sallisaw Main Street and the chamber, the event will also feature pop-up shops, a cornhole tournament, a carnival and more.

After the day’s events, live music will be provided by Dirt Road Therapy, which will take the stage at 6 p.m., followed by the Wanda Watson Band at 8 p.m.

Carol Brown, an administrative assistant with Sallisaw Main Street, said Friday that more participants are needed for scheduled events, such as the pop-up shops, cook-off and the first-ever Cruizin’ 64 cornhole tournament.

Brown said that on Friday, Oct. 11, Main Street will also be selling Indian tacos for $7, which will include a drink.

Taster kits for the chili cook-off will be on sale at 11 a.m. the day of the event. To sign up for the cook-off, participants can pick up a registration form at the chamber or call Brown at (918) 776-7920.

To enter the car show, contact Sallisaw Main Street at (918) 776-7920. Vendors can join in the fun by contacting the chamber at (918) 775-2558.

Chili cook-off winners will receive trophies and prize money, and there will be trophies for car show winners.

Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer

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Ruling Frees Women to Go Topless in Oklahoma

A federal court ruling over a ban on women going topless in public has made the act legal for women in six states, including Oklahoma.

In the case, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a topless ban in Fort Collins, Colo., after two women sued that city for the right to go topless in public. 

This means women can now walk down the street, gather at a public park, or perhaps even go topless at a public swimming pool.

Sequoyah County Sheriff Larry Lane said Friday that he hadn’t read the ruling yet, but added: “I don’t like it. I think it would make an opportunity for more sexual assaults.”

Terry Franklin, Sallisaw’s police chief, said he didn’t think anyone would go topless in the city, but noted that he couldn’t predict how people will react. “We will wait and see what the district attorney says, and we will have to abide by the law.”

Franklin also pointed out that businesses and government offices probably won’t allow topless women inside their buildings.

The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals encompasses Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Kansas, and Oklahoma, and the ruling makes topless bans in those states no longer enforceable.

The lawsuit was brought by two women who are part of the #FreeTheNipple movement on social media, specifically Instagram, which does not allow photos of exposed breasts.

Plaintiffs Brit Hoagland and Samantha Six sued Fort Collins, saying that being able to take off their shirts in public is their right, and is a step toward gender equality.

Hoagland told a media outlet that “Everybody should be able to be comfortable on a hot day and if that means taking their shirt off, so be it. No matter how you look, you should have the same freedom as the person next to you. And it’s also about equality. Addressing small parts of inequality can make a big difference in how people are treated on a day-to-day basis, and I thought Free the Nipple was just one small step closer to how it should be.”

“We made a huge impact way beyond Fort Collins, and we were just trying to start a conversation,” Hoagland said. “And that conversation reached to so many more people. It’s a miraculous achievement I didn’t think I would see in my lifetime, let alone so soon.”

Not everybody thinks the ruling is a good idea.

Peg Williams of Boulder, Colo., said “I guess as a woman, I mean, I do think we deserve equal rights in everything, so I guess that would count, too. But I think if women do choose to do that, they might be asking for a little bit of trouble.”

George Langel of Fort Collins pointed out what he says is a contradiction of laws. “A woman can expose her breasts, but a man can’t go in an alley behind a Dumpster and (urinate) without coming up on criminal charges.”

The Tulsa Police Department met with the city attorney this week to discuss the ruling, and according to Sgt. Jillian Phippen, "You can't present (breasts) in a sexual way, touching them or saying inappropriate sexual things. That could still be considered outraging public decency or indecent exposure.”

The ruling also means it's legal for people to take pictures of topless women they see in public and post them on social media. The ruling also gives teenagers the right to be seen in public with bare breasts, but taking a photo of them will still be considered child pornography.

Phippen worries the court decision could lead to additional sexual assaults, and that seeing a woman’s breasts could be a trigger for some offenders, a concern also voiced by Sequoyah County Sheriff Larry Lane.

"Whether they walk up and touch you, because we know it happens when you have clothes on. If that's what they want to do, what's to stop them if you don't have a shirt on and are exposing yourself?" Phippen said.

The city of Tulsa is not sure what to expect, but officials say they don't believe they'll see many, if any, women walking around topless, and because the ruling is still so new they are still figuring out the details. It will go forward on a case-by-case basis.

Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer

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Commissioners OK Work on City Projects

The Sallisaw Board of City Commissioners approved several agenda items in a special session Wednesday.

Among the approved items is a change order for MGS Construction Services for the remodeling of the new civic center in the amount of $7,531. The change will address a span of the building’s ceiling that needs additional support.

Commissioners also green-lighted a contract with Millie Vance Inc. of Ardmore for no more than $20,000 for consulting services related to Community Development Block Grant project 17051. The item is related to the CDBG grant the city received for the construction project at the wastewater treatment plant.

In addition, the panel approved an engineering services agreement with Neel, Harvell and Associates, P.C., in the amount of $22,800 for engineering services related to the sports complex walking trail.

The council also acknowledged Mayor Ernie Martens’ appointment of Devin Guthrie and Mike Meece to the Sallisaw Airport Commission to fill an unexpired term ending in 2021.

Meeting as the Sallisaw Municipal Authority, commissioners also approved a $35,000 cost-of-service study for the electric system by J.M. Rains and Associates. 

Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer

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Roland Midwife Turns Herself In

Debra Disch

Debra Disch, a Roland midwife, who was charged with practicing medicine without a license, turned herself in to the Sequoyah County Sheriff's Dept. Wednesday after an arrest warrant was issued on Friday, Sept. 13. Disch was booked into the Sequoyah County Jail on a $10,000 bond.

Attorney General Mike Hunter had filed charges against Disch for practicing medicine without a license after an investigation revealed she performed a medical procedure during a recent home birth, after the victim was in labor for nearly three days.

Disch was permanently banned from obtaining a license to practice as a midwife in Arkansas in 2016, is alleged to have performed an episiotomy on Elizabeth “Suzie” Bigler during her May 25 delivery. She also administered Pitocin to slow the victim’s bleeding after giving birth. A search warrant of her residence also found five vials of the drug.

Although individuals in Oklahoma do not need a license to practice as a midwife and despite Oklahoma having no laws regulating midwives, individuals must have a medical license to perform an episiotomy and administer Pitocin.

Attorney General Hunter said Disch was irresponsible and put the mother and her baby in a life-threatening situation.

“The details of this case are disturbing,” Attorney General Hunter said. “Our evidence shows that Disch was reckless in the way she performed this procedure and she was entirely outside the scope of her abilities and the law. The mother and her baby are lucky to be alive. We hope these charges send the message to Oklahomans looking to hire a midwife to research and choose carefully. Given her troubled past in Oklahoma and Arkansas, we also hope this puts Disch out of business.

“We appreciate our law enforcement partners, who helped us with this investigation, including District Attorney Jack Thorp and his team in District 27 and the Roland Police Department.”

According to documents filed with the court, the victim’s family repeatedly urged Disch to call an ambulance when complications began arising. Disch refused each time.

The baby was born lifeless and had to be resuscitated. During the lifesaving procedure, witnesses claim Disch dropped the newborn. Following the birth, the mother began hemorrhaging uncontrollably and Disch administered two Pitocin shots to control the bleeding.

Pitocin is used to induce labor and also used to control bleeding. Pitocin is not a scheduled drug but is available by prescription only. Disch did not have a valid prescription for this medication in Oklahoma.

Emergency services were eventually called and Bigler and her baby were taken to the hospital, where they remained for several days.

KXMX News Staff

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KXMX News Staff

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Fin and Feather Fall Festival Starts Tomorrow

The 51st Annual Fin & Feather Fall Festival kicks off tomorrow and runs through Sunday, Sept. 29.

The event, one of the most popular arts and crafts shows in Oklahoma, will begin at 9 a.m. each day, closing at 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and wrapping up at 5 p.m on Sunday.

Thousands attended last year to see more than 200 exhibitors displaying their unique handiwork during the three-day celebration.

The event is held each year on the grounds of Fin & Feather Resort near Lake Tenkiller in Gore.

The festival also includes several food trucks and food vendors so shoppers won’t get hungry.

Organizers say approximately 30,000 people attend the festival each year.

KXMX News Staff

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Accident Sends Sallisaw Woman to Hospital

A Sallisaw woman was transported to a Fort Smith hospital after a single-vehicle accident that occurred Tuesday at 9:43 a.m. approximately 9 miles north of Sallisaw.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) reported Janet Echer, 58, was driving a 2015 Chevrolet Sonic eastbound on 970 Road when she failed to stop at the intersection with 4690 Road. Echer reportedly went through the intersection and struck a tree, causing the vehicle to roll over onto the driver’s side. 

According to the OHP report, Echer was pinned for approximately 45 minutes before being extricated by the Brushy Volunteer Fire Dept. and Sallisaw Fire Dept. using the Jaws of Life.

Echer was transported by Pafford EMS to Baptist Health in Fort Smith. She was admitted in stable condition with head and trunk internal injuries.

The OHP reported the cause of the accident was speed on gravel and noted the roadway was wet. Seatbelts were in use.

KXMX News Staff

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Cherokee Nation's Outpatient Health Facility to Open in Phases This October

Exterior of the new 469,000 square foot outpatient health facility in Tahlequah.

Construction crew from Flintco-Cooper piece together the grand staircase 

in the main entrance of new outpatient health facility.

The largest tribal outpatient health facility in the country is set to open in phases this October after two years of construction.

The Cherokee Nation’s four-story, 469,000-square-foot outpatient health center on the Hastings campus will open its optometry, audiology, physical rehabilitation, behavioral health, radiology, lab and pharmacy services on Oct. 7.

Primary care, dental and resident clinic will open to patients in the new center on October 21. A grand opening ceremony is being planned for November.

“The Cherokee Nation is excited to open this beautiful new facility that allows us to serve more of our citizens, and offer more services than they ever had before,” Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. “This facility is a real game changer that will improve our overall health system and is a huge investment in our local economy. It is a blessing for me to see former Chief Bill John Baker’s vision come to fruition because of what it means for our citizens.”

The Cherokee Nation invested about $200 million of its general fund dollars into the facility construction and purchase of equipment. Indian Health Service will fund $100 million per year in staffing and operating costs in a historic joint-venture agreement with the tribe.

The facility features more than 240 exam rooms, two MRI machines, an ambulatory surgery center, 34 dental chairs, full service optometry and specialty health services.

The new outpatient health facility will feature 34 dental chairs, 

along with many other health services.

“This facility is bringing 850 jobs into Cherokee Nation over the next few years, including 100 physicians. Anytime we can improve infrastructure and boost the economy with new jobs is a win-win for our tribe and Indian Country,” said Cherokee Nation At-large Councilor and chair of the Council’s Health Committee Mary Baker-Shaw.

W.W. Hastings Hospital will remain the inpatient facility on the Hastings campus, which will also house the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine at Cherokee Nation to open in 2020.

The new outpatient health facility is located at 19600 N. Ross St. in Tahlequah. The main entrance to the facility is off Ross Street, but an entrance from Hastings Hospital will be available to use starting Oct. 7.

“The opening of the new Cherokee Nation outpatient health center will allow us to expand services and improve access for our patients,” said Dr. Stephen Jones, Interim Executive Director of Cherokee Nation Health Services. “We will now be able to house a multitude of services under one roof which will not only provide convenience for patients but it will remove some of the challenges to the delivery in health care that our patients have experienced for decades.”

Inside the health facility is also more than 600 pieces of Cherokee art, all made by Cherokee Nation citizens.

A main hallway of the outpatient health facility is lined with Cherokee art pieces.

“If you come in, we’ve created a cottage industry of Cherokee artists that before wouldn’t have had a venue to sell and display their art,” said Gina Olaya, who oversees culture, art and design for Cherokee Nation Businesses. “Now that this health center is built, we have provided them a location. It’s literally giving back to the people not in just a dollar amount but in goodwill and community spirit.”

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Tribe to Host 5th Annual Elders Summit

Cherokee Nation citizens 60 years of age and older are invited to participate in the fifth annual Cherokee Nation Elders Summit, which will take place Sept. 24-25 (Tuesday and Wednesday) in Tahlequah and Claremore.

On Sept. 24, elders are invited to visit the Cherokee Casino Tahlequah Chota Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and on Sept. 25, the Elders Summit will take place at Will Rogers Downs in Claremore from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“It is our duty as a tribe to serve our elders in any way they need, whether financial, physical or emotional,” Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. “They are the foundation of our families and should be honored for their wisdom and experience, which guides us. Every year that this summit continues to provide valuable resources and information is another year that we can help them as a community.”

Elders play an important role in Cherokee culture as the foundation of families and the caretakers of traditions and heritage. Since it began in 2015, the Cherokee Nation Elders Summit has not only promoted the importance of Cherokee elders, but served as an information hub for elder services. This year, the summit’s theme will be “To Care for Those That Once Cared for Us.”

Both days will include a free lunch for attendees as well as resource booths with information on elder abuse, resources and Cherokee Nation programs.

Elders are encouraged to RSVP to Glenda McClanahan at 918-453-5000 ext. 7052.

The Cherokee Nation is the federally recognized government of the Cherokee people and has inherent sovereign status recognized by treaty and law. The seat of tribal government is the W.W. Keeler Complex near Tahlequah, the capital of the Cherokee Nation. With more than 370,000 citizens, 11,000 employees and a variety of tribal enterprises ranging from aerospace and defense contracts to entertainment venues, the Cherokee Nation is one of the largest employers in northeastern Oklahoma and the largest tribal nation in the United States.

To learn more, please visit www.cherokee.org.

KXMX News Staff

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